Panic! at the Disco, Arena Birmingham - review with pictures

A timer projected onto the mammoth stage background counted down to the band's entrance to the stage as eager fans filed into the city centre venue.

Leaping onto the stage - quite literally from a hole in the middle of the floor - vocalist Brendan Urie stormed into a superb rendition of (F*** A) Silver Lining.

The band is somewhat depleted these days since their formation in 2004 - with Brendan as the only remaining original member - but the 31-year-old singer/songwriter possesses the charisma and talent of four men and more.

And last night, he showed this fact off in expert form as he smoothly grooved across the stage while demonstrating his awe-inspiring vocal range.

Hit singles Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time, Hey Look Ma, I Made It, LA Devotee, This Is Gospel, High Hopes and Hallelujah sounded simply sublime, with Brendan hitting every single high and low note with ease.

The theatrics of the show complemented Brendan's showmanship perfectly, with flames shooting out of the stage during Crazy=Genius, and smoke enveloping the frontman as he sang King of the Clouds.

With carousels and trapeze performers emblazoned onto the backdrop, the vocalist took us to the circus with his jaw-dropping cover of The Greatest Show from blockbuster film The Greatest Showman.

The charismatic frontman wasted no time chatting with the crowd between songs, yet during heartfelt balled Death of a Bachelor he made his way through the audience serenading unsuspecting and swooning individuals, and shaking hands aplenty as he made his way to a platform in the centre of the room.

There, he dazzled with his skills on a sheer white piano with a cover of Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me, before the instrument was lifted into the air and the singer floated across the crowd while performing a hair-raising rendition of Dying in LA.

Everything about the show screamed 'spectacle'. Brendan and his band turned the whole room into a pride flag during hit Girls/Girls/Boys, with the help of different coloured paper hearts left in every stand with the instruction to hold them in front of a mobile phone torch.

The effect was simply spine-tingling, and highlighted the band's passion for their diverse group of fans, as well as the attention to detail that had gone into the show.

A true highlight of the evening was the group's cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, with Brendan tinkling the keys on the piano after taking to the drums during Miss Jackson for an epic solo. Brendan is a showman through and through, and he held the audience's attention for every second he was on stage.

Older fans of the band looking for a fever they might want to sweat out may have been left disappointed by the lack of songs from the band's ground-breaking first album, but the room erupted into cheers when the first tell-tale notes of I Write Sins Not Tragedies resonated around the arena.

Panic! at the Disco have a diverse back catalogue that has reflected their evolution throughout the years - but who doesn't love a good nostalgic emo sing-along?

Ending on the raging Victorious, confetti showered the crowd and the group waved goodbye to Birmingham.

A Panic! at the Disco show is an experience like no other - one you certainly shouldn't close the door on should you have the chance to witness it.